Where are you located?What kind of racing are you looking for?I would contact the local Hobie fleets and the division to see what racing is available and what the active Hobie fleets are.

The other question is how big you are.I am not a small person so i have raced first the Hobie 18s and now the Hobie 20s here in Northern California. I used to be 240+, but even at about 215 lbs now I am too large for the Hobie 16 fleet. We have an excellent group of Hobie 20 racers here in Northern California as well as an excellent group of Hobie 16 racers.

so it depends on size of skipper and crew and what fleets are active in the regattas you would like to race in.

Dwight's comments about wieght are "right-on" .... I was at one point 225lbs and that wieght + crew, the H16 w/ lighter crews just left me behind .... so I purchased a H18 .... and even through now I'm 185lbs I'll never go back ...

But it's also about how "technical" the boat is ... for the H16 most of the set-up/adjustment have to be done on the beach ... and can't really be easily be changed on the water. Now the H18 has alot more adjustments that can be done while being raced on the water .... and these "little" adjustments can result in significant differences in speed .... so if you are more technically inclined .....

And Dwights advise about checking what kind of boats are being raced locally is correct ... here in Div11 we have a fairly large fleet of H18's racing (6-10 usually) .... the H16 Class is slightly larger (12-15 usually)

Think of it this way .... a H16 is a Mustang GT .... the H18 is a BOSS 302 w/ Supercharger ..... and then there is the H20, a Corvette? .... and the Tiger/Wildcats exotic names ==> exotic sports cars ...

I sail in Indianapolis. At my club there is only one catamaran that races, and it's a wave. I hear there might be an active fleet of 16s on Eagle Creek though.

I have gotten hooked on one-design racing over the past year. I'm already pretty committed to crewing on a monohull this year though so it's not a huge deal. I mainly asked about racing because, down the line, I think it would be a lot of fun to do some catamaran racing, and I couldn't find much info about Hobie 18s racing.

My main goal is to get something that I can take my daughter out on that is reasonably stable in light air, but fast as heck in bigger breeze. With that in mind I was definitely leaning towards the 18. I wann go fast! Plus it seems that the 18 has more controls that directly apply to modern cat racing....is that a fair assumption? I like tinkering with controls.

Too many variables to answer definitively, but the above responses are good guides. Other considerations are:

1. How much money do you want to spend? 16s are easier to find in very good condition, and a new, race-ready one is around $10K, or about $13K less than the latest go-fast Wild Cat.

2. How strong is are the racing classes in your area? Can you race an in an open class if you can't find one-design?

3. The 18 is no longer in production and is slowly dying as a racing class, while the 16 is Hobie's bread and butter and has a strong racing class, but the strength depends on the the location.

4. Are you serious about racing or winning? My local 18 class is more serious about racing than winning. We're happy to get our own start with four boats, and that usually includes me on an 18 SX way over-weight but without wings, a guy with wings, and another with under-weight crew, and if Ryan shows up he's a guaranteed win so the rest of us fight for second. My local 16 class usually gets about 15-20 boats and is über-competitive which forces one to improve.

5. Just want to go fast? A 16 and 18 are pretty evenly matched with the edge going to the 18, and the 18 is more stable and less prone to pitchpoling.

yes, the 18 is not the fleet it once used to be, but the numbers are still there for the national events.

With the weight that you're posting (is it true? ) for you and your crew, the 18 is the better boat. Easier to sail with novice crew and a very competitive boat. I know, the 16 is too... )it's a much more stable boat in all conditions, especially with young novice crew... and you can pack more of them on...

but seriously.... check with your local fleets and division, see what the turnout is like... maybe you'll be the one to re-ignite the fleet?If you can, join us in Ocean Springs Miss in June for the North American Championships... we'll help you get the boat tuned up, and you in racing mode, oh, and you'll have a lot of fun too!

Purchased an H18 last year and keep it up on Clear Lake in NE Indiana. I really love the boat, but have to trailer it around in MI if I want to race. Even then I'm racing Portsmouth against F18s which isn't ideal...

I've found a couple of other H18s that are regularly sailed on CL, so am going to start talking to see if they're interested in a little friendly competition. Unfortunately, Division 10 seems to be virtually devoid of any Hobie 1-class sailing so this may be the best I can do.

Back to your decision point, I think the H18 will be more versatile boat for leisure sailing. Much more buoyancy, capacity, etc. For racing, its probably a toss-up between the two. Some day I may make the step up to a Tiger (or if I win the lotto, Wildcat). I think sailing the H18 will better prepare me for that.

Jeff, get some practice and lets keep in touch. I have very limited vacation but I think next year (if we promote over the winter) we could get a few 18s together for a regatta or two. Perhaps North Cape and Muskegon or Austin Lake. Any other ideas? Northern Ohio?

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), I'll be at Lollapalooza in Chicago that weekend. I am, however, pretty much 100% decided to do the CRAM race at Muskegon two weeks later (8/20, 21). We're heading to Caseville tomorrow for a 3-day event starting Friday. Still hoping to find at least one other H18 as Portsmouth is not nearly as much fun.